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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“I called this book Out of Order because it reflects my goal, which is to share a different side of the Supreme Court. Most people know the Court only as it exists between bangs of the gavel, when the Court comes to order to hear arguments or give opinions. But the stories of the Court and the Justices that come from the ‘out of order’ moments add to the richness of the Court as both a branch of our government and a human institution.”—Justice Sandra Day O’Connor From Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court, comes this fascinating book about the history and evolution of the highest court in the land.

Out of Order sheds light on the centuries of change and upheaval that transformed the Supreme Court from its uncertain beginnings into the remarkable institution that thrives and endures today. From the early days of circuit-riding, when justices who also served as trial judges traveled thousands of miles per year on horseback to hear cases, to the changes in civil rights ushered in by Earl Warren and Thurgood Marshall; from foundational decisions such as Marbury v. Madison to modern-day cases such as Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, Justice O’Connor weaves together stories and lessons from the history of the Court, charting turning points and pivotal moments that have helped define our nation’s progress.

With unparalleled insight and her unique perspective as a history-making figure, Justice O’Connor takes us on a personal exploration, painting vivid pictures of Justices in history, including Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., one of the greatest jurists of all time; Thurgood Marshall, whose understated and succinct style would come to transform oral argument; William O. Douglas, called “The Lone Ranger” because of his impassioned and frequent dissents; and John Roberts, whom Justice O’Connor considers to be the finest practitioner of oral argument she has ever witnessed in Court. We get a rare glimpse into the Supreme Court’s inner workings: how cases are chosen for hearing; the personal relationships that exist among the Justices; and the customs and traditions, both public and private, that bind one generation of jurists to the next—from the seating arrangements at Court lunches to the fiercely competitive basketball games played in the Court Building’s top-floor gymnasium, the so-called “highest court in the land.”

Wise, candid, and assured, Out of Order is a rich offering of inspiring stories of one of our country’s most important institutions, from one of our country’s most respected pioneers.

Praise for Out of Order“[A] succinct, snappy account of how today’s court—so powerful, so controversial and so frequently dissected by the media—evolved from such startlingly humble and uncertain beginnings.”—The New York Times “A brief and accessible history of the nation’s highest court, narrated by a true historical figure and a jurisprudential giant.”—The Boston Globe “A vibrantly personal book [that] displays O’Connor’s uncommon common sense, her dry wit and her reverence for the nation’s institutions.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Full of riveting anecdotes . . . a compact history . . . albeit a more lighthearted, personality-filled one than you might find in a high school classroom.”—Associated Press

From the Hardcover edition.

About the author

Sandra Day O’Connor was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised on the Lazy B Ranch. She attended Stanford University, where she took Wallace Stegner’s writing course. She began her public service in Phoenix, and was majority leader of the Arizona Senate before becoming a judge. She is the author of Lazy B, a memoir about growing up in the Southwest, and The Majesty of the Law, a reflection on American law and life. President Reagan nominated her as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and she served from 1981 to 2006. She serves as Chancellor of the College of William & Mary, and is on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

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Review: Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court Who better to write a history of the most powerful court in the world from its meager and penniless beginnings under President George Washington than a seasoned author who also served honorably in those hallowed chambers for a quarter of a century? In OUT OF ORDER, Sandra O'Connor sheds light on some of the Court's most important rulings, sharing insight and fascinating littleknown facts about a ...

A Google User

OUT OF ORDER: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court Here comes the judge—and she has stories to tell.O'Connor (The Majesty of the Law, 2003, etc.), the first woman to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court—though, she hastens to add, not the first woman to hold a post of importance in that highest judiciary in the land—has been retired for half a decade, but still she is asked what being a justice is like. And, of course, she's heavily involved

Review: Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court Justice O'Connor's book will disappoint if you are looking for a tell-all about goings on during her tenure on the Supreme Court. But for history and legal geeks it is a fascinating look at the ...

Lincoln

Review: Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court This book just sucked. If you are looking for personal anecdotes or a personal memoir, look to the recent memoir by John Paul Stevens and don't waste your money on this. Justice O'Connor has an ...

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Bookreporter.com - Roz Shea

Review: Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court Who better to write a history of the most powerful court in the world from its meager and penniless beginnings under President George Washington than a seasoned author who also served honorably in those hallowed chambers for a quarter of a century? In OUT OF ORDER, Sandra O'Connor sheds light on some of the Court's most important rulings, sharing insight and fascinating littleknown facts about a ...

OUT OF ORDER: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court Here comes the judge—and she has stories to tell.O'Connor (The Majesty of the Law, 2003, etc.), the first woman to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court—though, she hastens to add, not the first woman to hold a post of importance in that highest judiciary in the land—has been retired for half a decade, but still she is asked what being a justice is like. And, of course, she's heavily involved

Review: Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court Justice O'Connor's book will disappoint if you are looking for a tell-all about goings on during her tenure on the Supreme Court. But for history and legal geeks it is a fascinating look at the ...

Review: Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court This book just sucked. If you are looking for personal anecdotes or a personal memoir, look to the recent memoir by John Paul Stevens and don't waste your money on this. Justice O'Connor has an ...

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What was it in Sandra Day O'Connor's background and early life that helped make her the woman she is today-the first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and one of the most powerful women in America? In this beautiful, illuminating, and unusual book, Sandra Day O'Connor, with her brother, Alan, tells the story of the Day family and of growing up on the harsh yet beautiful land of the Lazy B Ranch in Arizona. Laced throughout these stories about three generations of the Day family, and everyday life on the Lazy B, are the lessons Sandra and Alan learned about the world, about people, self-reliance, and survival, and the reader will learn how the values of the Lazy B shaped them and their lives.

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In this remarkable book, a national bestseller in hardcover, Sandra Day O’Connor explores the law, her life as a Supreme Court Justice, and how the Court has evolved and continues to function, grow, and change as an American institution. Tracing some of the origins of American law through history, people, ideas, and landmark cases, O’Connor sheds new light on the basics, exploring through personal observation the evolution of the Court and American democratic traditions. Straight-talking, clear-eyed, inspiring, The Majesty of the Law is more than a reflection on O’Connor’s own experiences as the first female Justice of the Supreme Court; it also reveals some of the things she has learned and believes about American law and life—reflections gleaned over her years as one of the most powerful and inspiring women in American history.

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